Candle-simulating fluorescent lighting fixture



y 7, 1952 c. E. HAYS 2,598,054

CANDLE-SIMULATING FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Fil ed Dec. 30, 1949 Inventor" y Hie-Abbe Patented May 27, 1952 GANDLE-SMULATING. FLUORESCENT" LIGHTING FIXTURE- Glifton E; Hays, Providence; R; 1;,assignor, by mesne; assignments, .to General Electric Compan-y; a. corporation of New York Application December 30, 1949; Serial No; 135 948 2iCl'aims; I

My invention relates to ornamental or decorative electrical lighting fixtures, particularly those appropriatefor the=Ch-ristmas season. Specifically, the'fixture-of'my invention is designad to produce the visual effect of an internally illumi'nated candle having a fiameissuing from one end. Of course, this efiect might be-produced by a specially designed single lamp having the-shape desired, but the manufacture of such a lamp would be expensive. Therefore; it is an object of my-inventionto produce a fixture which Willobtain thedesired visual effect by using standard forms-ortypes of lamps-which are readily available.

If the above effect is" to-be gained; this means that twoseparatelampsmustbe-used; one for the cylindrical candle-simulating portion, and another-forthe fiame-simula-tingportion. This immediately'raisesa problem in concealing necessary wiring; lamp sockets or electrical terminals and other electrical structures without destroying the desired illusion. Because the flame-simulating lamp is located at the far end' of the cylindri'calf lamp away fromthenormal position for connection wires;- there is a problem of-getting these wires" to the socket of the flame lamp withoutexposing them in an obvious manner. When a fluorescent lamp is used for the candlesimulating portion, asis preferred because of the even-{illumination obtainablefrom such a type of lamp} there isthe-additionallproblem of "concealing the ballast. and starter necessary forthis lamp without sacrificing any: of" the decorative effect. invention is-designed to overcome-all of these problems: of'concealing: unattractive but necessary parts; and; to produce an inexpensive fixture for: obtaining: the.- desired ornament'al: results.

Theobjectsiof: mysinventiom are; met generally by providing afixturezhavingza. basein which. a

lamp socket'ior the bottom of the cylindrical lampiis mounted-, a supportingand, wire conceallugs member extending upwardly from; the base alongside, this lamp. and carrying. asocket-for thesfiamersimulating lamp .1 and; a: decorative: coyering; for; this socketand for. the upper end. of the cylindrical lamp.

Qthen objects; and details ofi thatxwhichz Lbelleye-yto: be novel; and my-invention willbe clear from the following descriptionpand claims, taken with; the accompanying: drawing. in which. is. an example'sofi fixtureacoording: to my'inv entionzand incorporating apreferred form of supportior the two lamps:v

. In: the drawing. Eig; 1: isa side. view ofgan ex-- 2 empla-ry fixturewiththe lamps; in. place; Fig; 2 is a bottom view: of the base of the fixture; of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a vertical seotionalzview oi. the topof the fixture 0t Figv l buton a. larger: scale; Fig. 4 is a planview. of the parts shownin Fig. 3, with portions broken away forfclarity; in'illustration, and Fig. 51s a wiring-diagramzfor a preferred.

form of my invention.

Supporting the-restoii thefixture, and :housing the principal electrical parts: is airbase I made 01" any. suitable material. This-base. is providedin its underside with a recess. or; cavity 2- in which various parts are supported and: concealed; in. a manner to be laterdescribed;

In or on the top surface of this: supporting base Iprovide an electrical socket. 3c of: as known type of construction for the lower end of a vertically extending cylindrical lamp 43 which will simulate an internally illuminatedlcandle'.

Offset rearwardly fromtheaxisof the-cy1indrical lamp and extending vertically upward close to but parallel with; the axis of the lamp: 43.1 provide. asupporting member shown here as; a wiring tube 5-. This is. made ofri'gid; material because it must support structures. hereafter mentioned, anclthe" lower end oi the? tube; extends toand opens into the hollow portion Zr'of: the base. Naturally each-fixture willbei-designedlfor a cylindrical lamp. of at given. diameter; The lengths of these lamps are standardized. so: that theproper spacing between; thevlowerrlamn socket and the top of the. wiring tube. canbe; determined in advance. The tube ispreferably although not necessarily, made with. acircular cross-section, with its greatest: external diameter substantially less than. the diameter of. thezcylindi'ioal lamp which will be used;. The: drawing shows-a wiring tube which is less thanv a. third the diameter of the cylindrical. lamp;

By keeping the diameter oi. the. tube small: as compared to'the diameter of thecylindricallamp and by mounting: this tube parallel to the axis of' this lamp andv as close: thereto'as. possible, the tube; will be concealed. by the. lampthroughout a .wide. observation angle; from. the, front of the fixture; The proportions orxspacingsofi parts intlie drawings. are not. necessarily correct on the best possiblebecause of'exaggerationwhich is-desirableior clearillust'ration and because the form of fixture shown utilizes: many present standard Darts.

At. the; top; of. the; wiring tube; Ii provide an offset arm. 6, shown here as. securedto the Wiring. tubezby a plate. 1.: welded or otherwise permanently ioinedto the'tube; and a machinescrew 8 extending through a portion of the ofiset arm and threaded into an appropriate opening in the plate 1.

For supporting the flame-simulating lamp 9 at the top end of the fixture, I provide a candelabra lamp socket I which is aligned with the socket in the base and with the top of the cylindrical lamp. This gives the proper position for the illusion that the flame is issuing from the top of the candle.

For covering and concealing the socket for the flame lamp and a portion of the top end of the candle lamp, I have shown a decorative housing or cover H which has a central top opening l2 therein above the socket ID. This cover is made preferably of insulating material, generally cylindrical in form, and may be contoured and colored on its outer surfaces to sim ulate drippings from the candle. When an upper socket for the cylindrical lamp is required, this decorative housing also conceals this socket as well as the top end of the lamp proper. The cover is preferably made to be easily removable in an upward or forward direction from the ofiset end of the wiring tube after the flame lamp has been removed from its socket. For this purpose the rearside of the decorative candledrip simulating cover is .cut away as at [3 to allow it to be slipped either upwardly or forwardly from the ofiset portion. When the lamps are in place on the fixture, the top end of the'cylindrical lamp and the base of the flame lamp will hold this cover in proper position.

Thus far I have described only the mechanical structures for supporting the lamps and for concealing unattractive parts. The electrical parts and the wiring will depend upon the types of lamps used in the fixture, and I have chosen to show a fluorescent type lamp for the candle and a small flame-shaped incandescent lamp for the flame. I prefer a fluorescent lamp at the place mentioned because of the even and soft type of illumination which it produces, and an incandescent lamp where indicated because of its brightness. However, other might be used as a candle and a neon glow type lamp might be used for the flame to produce a different decorative effect. I will describe the wiring and other electrical parts as if a fluorescent lamp and an incandescent lamp were used.

In the hollow portion 2 of the base I mount a switch l4 having a handle or button [5 which extends outwardlly to the front of the base. A ballast It for the fluorescent lamp is also secured under the base in the hollow portion in any desired fashion, as by screws ll. Also secured and concealed within the hollow of the base is a terminal block it carrying the usual fluorescent lamp starter IS, the block being suitably secured as by screws 2|) (only one shown).

The wiring for this arrangement is indicated in the diagram of Fig. 5 in which 2| represents the electrical power leads coming from a suitable source into the base, one of these lines being controlled by the switch Hi and the other passing directly from the hollow base upwardly through the tube 5 to other electrical parts. The side of the line controlled by the switch M has a wire 22 connected from the switch to the ballast and a wire 23 passing from the switch through the wiring tube to other electrical parts. After passing through the ballast, this portion of the circuit is connected by a wire through a hole in the base to a lamp socket contact 24 of conventional design in the lamp socket 3 which is in the top kinds of lamps of the supporting base. The other contact 25 in this socket is connected by a wire through a hole in the base to the starter l9 and the starter I9 is in turn connected to a wire 26 passing upwardly through the tube to other electrical parts.

When an upper socket is required for the cylindrical lamp, as in the form shown, this upper socket naturally faces the lower socket in the base. This upper socket is aligned with the flame socket and is preferably carried on the opposite side of the offset arm 6, facing downwardly in a direction opposite that of the flame socket.

The upper candle socket is provided with contacts 21 and 28 of the usual character for fluorescent lamps, the terminal 21 being suitably connected to the upper end of wire 26 and the contact 28 being likewise connected to the upper end of the wire 2| as indicated in the diagram. When the lamp is properly placed in the upper and lower sockets these socket contacts electrically andmechanically engage with the usual terminals 29 on the top and bottom of lamp 4. Only one of these terminals is shown.

The wires 2| and 23 at their upper ends are also suitably connected to the inner bottom and outerside contacts of the customary style of flame lamp socket H] in a manner easily understood. These contacts engage the bottom terminal 3|! and the screw-threaded ferrule 3| of standard design on the lamp 9. The tube 5 at its upper end may be formed to enclose the top ends of the wires 2|, 23 and 2B or these wires may be covered by an insulating tube 32 carried by the offset arm 6, as shown in the drawing.

It will be noted that all of the wires and other necessary electrical parts aside from the lamp sockets are housed and concealed within the base I and the wiring tube 5. The tube conceals the wires leading to the top end of the cylindrical lamp, the lamp itself partly conceals the tube, and the decorative cover conceals the socket lo, the top end of the lamp 4, and the upper socket for the cylindrical lamp when this is used. The heavier parts of the assembly can be located mostly in the base and the base may be provided with additional weight to make the enti e fixture stable.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of my invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the example illustrated, and I contemplate that various and other modifications and applications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore my invention that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure b Leters Patent of the United States is:

1. A decorative lighting fixture of the type holding a cylindrical candle-simulating lamp of a given diameter, and a separate flame-simulating lamp at an end of the cylindrical lamp, said fixture comprising a supporting base, a first lamp socket on said base for one end of said cylindrical lamp, a wiring tube secured at one end to and extending from said base close to and parallel with the axis of said cylindrical lamp and of substantially less external diameter than said given diameter of the lamp, a second lamp socket for the otherend of said cylindrical lamp carried by the other end of said wiring tube, a third socket for the flame-simulating lamp oarriedby said tube, aligned with but oppositely facing from said 5 second socket, a candle-drip simulating cover surrounding said second and third sockets, and electrical connection wires in said base and tube leading to said sockets, whereby the base and the tube conceal the wires, the cylindrical lamp conceals the wiring tube, and the cover conceals the second and third sockets, to give the effect of an internally illuminated candle with flame issuing from one end.

2. A lighting fixture for supporting and illuminating a cylindrical fluorescent lamp with the terminals at either end thereof and another lamp with terminals positioned close to one end of said fluorescent lamp, said fixture comprising a supporting base having a recess therein, a lamp socket in said base adapted to receive the terminals on one end of said fluorescent lamp, a starter and ballast for said lamp mounted and concealed within said recess by said base, a wiring tube interiorly communicating with said recess and extending outwardly from the base close to said socket in a direction alongside said fluorescent lamp, an offset end of said tube, a second lamp socket on said ofi'set end facing said first mentioned socket and adapted to receive the terminals on the other end of said fluorescent lamp, a third lamp socket mounted on said offset end 6 adapted to receive the terminals of said other lamp and located in alignment with but facing away from said second socket, a decorative cover on said oflset end surrounding and concealing said second and third sockets and a portion of the adjoining end of said fluorescent lamp, power supply connections to said recess in the base and electrical connection wires in said recess and wiring tube leading from said power connections between said starter, ballast and sockets for energizing said lamps.

CLIFTON E. HAYS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,568,232 McFadden Jan. 5, 1926 2,256,058 Roesler Sept. 16, 1941 2,293,924 Swanson Aug. 25, 1942 2,344,160 Meese et al Mar. 14, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 454,026 France Apr. 18, 1913 

